


If He Listened

by mrsfizzle



Category: Smallville
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Clark Tells the Truth, Communication, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Good Person Lex Luthor, Lex Finds Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25466719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrsfizzle/pseuds/mrsfizzle
Summary: When Clark discovers Lex's Room of Obsession, Lex tries to explain himself, but Clark is too angry to listen. But what if Clark had stuck around and heard him out? A "Lex finds out" story.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Lex Luthor
Comments: 16
Kudos: 67





	1. The Lies

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate ending to 3x22, Covenant, and it will contain direct quotes from the episode. I own nothing.
> 
> This is very much NOT part of If She Looked Over, and it's not compatible, but it's partly written for the readers of the ISLO series who might be unhappy over the continuing long wait for a "Lex finds out" scene. Enjoy :)

Clark made his way to the third floor of the Luthor mansion, and then to the east wing. He ran his fingers over the key in his pocket as he walked.

Clark wasn't sure why he bothered to take Lionel's advice. Lionel had lied to him and tried to trap him so many times, but there had been something in his eyes when he'd given him the key. Besides, to Clark's knowledge, Lionel didn't know about his Kryptonite weakness, which meant that he couldn't really hurt Clark.

The key turned in the lock, and what Clark saw at the bottom of the stairs made his blood boil almost as much as if there were Kryptonite in his pocket.

It was a whole room of investigations about him.

The first thing that caught his eye was the huge black-and-white photo of himself on a screen. In front of the screen, little metal pieces hung from the ceiling. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were crushed bullets—bullets that had hit _him._ Another screen seemed to be analyzing the way they had been crushed. Other screens displayed images of the cave paintings, a few showed pictures of Clark's family, a smaller one showed a rotating frame of the octagonal key from his spaceship.

A glass jar held the cave parasite that had once infected Chloe and Pete; another held the Nicodemus flower that had nearly killed his dad, Pete, and Lana. A glass display case held a sample of both red and green kryptonite, and Clark stepped back from it. And the largest screen in the room showed a repeated animation of Lex's car hitting Clark on the bridge.

He was going to give Lex a piece of his mind. He stumbled around and headed back toward the staircase that led to the door.

Lex stood at the top of the stairs. "Before you jump to conclusions, Clark—"

"You told me you stopped investigating me."

"I did."

"You did? Then what is this?"

Lex started walking down the stairs, looking Clark right in the eyes. "I understand how you can think all this is about you. But in fact, it's about me."

"More lies."

Lex gave him a brief half-smile before turning to walk among his stolen evidence. "There's so much of my own life I can't explain. I've survived countless brushes with death, and it all started with this car crash. If I'm guilty of anything, it's that I've inherited my father's eccentric curiosity for the unexplained."

"You've inherited his dishonesty."

Lex turned back and met Clark's glare. "Clark, look me in the eyes and tell me you don't have any hidden places of your own where you keep your deep, dark secrets."

They stared each other down for a long moment, and Clark's mind raced. He had never felt so betrayed by a friend, nor so angry with anyone. Lex had promised he'd stopped investigating. Did he have any idea how dangerous it could be for Clark if anyone found out his secret?

 _Well . . . no._ He didn't know. That was part of the problem. But it wasn't the point. Lex had lied, deceived him, gone behind his back, invaded his privacy, intentionally gone against his express wishes. And all this time, Clark had been defending him and insisting he was trustworthy!

He breathed in to tell Lex that, but something Lex had just said stuck in his mind. He'd dismissed it as a lie when Lex had said it, but it was an odd lie. "What did you mean when you said this isn't about me?"

Lex swallowed and looked down. "It's not all about you. When I started, it was. I should have died that day on the bridge, and I thought I survived because you were different in some way. But I've seen you get injured since then, and I keep walking away from near-death experiences without a scratch. Meanwhile, so many people have been infected with the meteor rocks, or other toxins and diseases. I hear stories about a spaceship having crashed in Smallville the day of the meteor shower—and I was affected by those meteors, too."

"And the caves?"

"Possibly unrelated. But everything you see in this room, they're all the things I can't explain. The bridge incident is about you, but most of the rest isn't. Unless I'm wrong." He gave Clark a pointed look that was clearly a question.

Clark couldn't believe that Lex was still expecting him to volunteer any information. "Lex, how can I trust you when you've been lying to me?"

Lex's jaw pulsed. "How many times have you lied to me, Clark? Just a rough estimate. Because I've lost count."

Clark breathed in to shout that his own secrets were more important to keep, but he still didn't want to admit that he _was_ keeping secrets, and even if he did, there was no way Lex could have known how dangerous Clark's secrets were. That didn't excuse Lex, but it did make it hard to Clark to make his argument.

He was about to tell Lex that he was like his father, but he was starting to wear out that insult. And after hearing Lex's explanation, it didn't quite seem like a fair comparison. But he still had to convey how wrong Lex was to have done this.

"Do you have any idea how wrong this is?"

"I'm sure you're about to tell me."

"Don't act like you didn't know I'd be upset about this room if I ever found it. Why else would you keep it locked away?"

Lex's face reddened a little.

"I don't get it, Lex. Why is this so important? Why would you risk our friendship over it?"

"I didn't want to risk our friendship. But I've had to doubt the evidence of my eyes for my entire life. Those seven weeks of lost memories were far from the first time I've had to second guess my recollections. Can you blame me for thinking there's something wrong with me? But this—" he ran his hand along one of the glass jars— "this is proof. Proof I'm not crazy. Whether it's supernatural, or extraterrestrial, or magical—call it what you will, there really is something going on in Smallville, and I've _seen_ it, and I'm a part of it. And you know what's wrong with me, but you won't tell me what it is."

Clark clenched his teeth, his insides squirming. He knew Lex was being honest now, at least from his perspective. "If this was bothering you so much, why didn't you talk to me?"

"I tried. Every time I tried to press you about anything Chloe would have put on her Wall of Weird, you started shouting at me, or telling me I was like my father." Lex shook his head. "You want me to be honest with you? Here, this is the truth. Whether or not anything in this room has to do with you, you're still the connecting link."

"How?"

"You've looked me in the eyes and lied about almost every item here. Half the time, that's how I know something belongs in this room in the first place."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "How did you know I was lying?"

"You're the worst liar I've ever met in my life."

Clark looked away, letting his breath out.

"That's what I _like_ about you, Clark. You've been a good friend in everything else, and I can tell you _want_ to be honest. Deception doesn't come naturally to you. I admire that."

"Did you ever stop to think maybe I didn't owe you the truth?"

"Yes. Every day. But I didn't owe you my trust, either, and I gave you that, even when you lied."

Clark shifted his weight.

"You're my best friend, and you lie to me every single day. Do you know what that's like?"

Clark's fists clenched. "I do now!"

Lex flinched. "I wasn't lying to you when I said I'd stopped the investigations. I sent investigators to the farm a couple of years ago, for a few weeks, but I called them off, and I already confessed that to you. Since then, I've only collected mementos."

Clark sighed. "Lex, this room goes so far beyond lying. Do you have any idea how deceptive you sound right now? Yeah, you fired your investigators, but you became one."

Lex hung his head, his eyes squeezed shut for a moment. "I know. I'm sorry."

Clark stiffened his neck a little. "What do you expect to say to that?"

Lex looked him in the eyes. "I don't know. But please don't give up on me yet."

Clark scoffed. "I can't just forget this!"

"I know. I'm willing to . . . pay for my crimes."

Clark raised his eyebrows.

"I'll destroy everything in this room."

"It's a little late for that."

Lex winced. "I know, that's just the start. I want to make it up to you. Name your price. Any dollar amount, any favor you want—"

"And what would you learn from that?" Typical Luthor, thinking he could buy his way out of trouble.

"Then I'll pay in flesh and blood. What do you want? Revenge? You want me to suffer? Do whatever you want, I'll take any amount of pain. Just . . . please don't make me pay for this with your friendship." His voice went very soft, and his eyes shone. "I can't afford it."

Clark grimaced. Lex was starting to wear him down, and he didn't want that. He wanted to feel angry again, but guilt was starting to seep into the pit of his stomach instead. He thought of Lex as strong and unshakeable, sometimes even ruthlessly so, but somehow Clark had brought Lex to this point of desperation.

He tried to put himself in Lex's shoes. He remembered how frustrated he had felt when his dad had first told him about the spaceship, knowing his dad had kept it from him for so long. Lex didn't necessarily have the right to know about Clark's secrets, but he believed Clark had information about _him_. And he had good reason to think that.

This was too messy. In some ways, he would rather cut Lex out of his life than to try to clean this up. But cutting him out of his life wouldn't help—Lex would see it as a confirmation of everything he already suspected. And besides, deep down, Clark didn't want to lose his best friend. Especially now that he was starting to understand where Lex was coming from.

Clark also didn't want to hurt his friend any more than he already had. Lex had essentially begged to be physically tortured rather than cut out of Clark's life. Clark had to fix this.

"Okay," Clark said. "Let's start with total honesty. No more lies."

Lex's eyes widened. He straightened up and nodded.

Clark took a deep breath. "You say this room isn't about me."

"Not most of it."

"Then what's my picture doing here?"

Lex glanced back at the screens. "This room is therapeutic for me. The evidence reminds me I'm not crazy. Your friendship reminds me I'm not a bad man."

Those didn't seem particularly connected in Clark's mind. "Those are awfully big photos."

Lex shrugged. "I guess, but . . . I wasn't expecting anyone to see this room. I didn't think it mattered."

Clark began to pace among the evidence in the room, taking an account of everything in it. The car crash was definitely about Clark, but Lex had no way of knowing how Clark was connected to the Kryptonite, or the Kawache caves, or the octagonal key. He was trying to tell the truth. He really didn't think this room was about Clark.

And Clark's lies were destroying Lex. Clark wondered if he was making Lana and Chloe feel the same way.

_Total honesty. No more lies._

Clark put his hands in his pockets and nodded up to the animation of the car hitting his body. "Where did this come from?"

Lex came over to stand next to him. Clark could almost feel him cringing, which was unusual for Lex and made Clark feel even worse about the whole situation. "That was from those first few weeks, when I actually had people working with me."

"What do you think happened that day?"

Lex shook his head. "It's gonna sound crazy."

"Humor me."

"Well," Lex said, running his hand over his head. "I think my car hit you at sixty miles per hour. The top of the car was peeled open like a can of sardines, which would mean you jumped in after me and ripped the top off of my car to get me out."

"It does sound crazy."

Lex's eyes fell closed, and his head dropped.

Clark's dad was going to kill him. But he had to do this. He turned to look Lex in the eyes. "The truth sounds crazy sometimes."


	2. The Truth

So much adrenaline flooded through Lex's veins that his vision went fuzzy for a moment, his peripheral going black. His voice caught in his throat several times, but he could get no words out.

Clark began to pace among the evidence. "Those meteor rocks are called Kryptonite. It's the reason all these strange things happen in Smallville. It infects people and physically alters them. It's why there have been so many murders at Smallville High, and it's why you lost your hair."

Lex had known that part. He'd known it for a long time, but to hear it confirmed . . . He hadn't felt so awake and alive in years. "And you were infected, too."

"No."

Lex blinked. "Then how did you survive that crash?"

"Because I'm not human. The Kryptonite comes from my planet." Clark looked away, toward the screen with the metal octagon. "And that's the key to my spaceship."

" _Your_ spaceship?" Yet another flood of adrenaline.

"The one my parents found me in, the day of the meteor shower."

"Can I see it?"

"It was destroyed last summer."

Something in Lex deflated. He should have expected a yarn like this. So the ship had been conveniently destroyed. Clark wasn't telling the truth—he was mocking Lex. "Of course it was."

"You don't believe me?"

"I know I lied to you, but you don't have to make fun of me."

Clark sighed, then took Lex's arm and dragged him to the top of the staircase. Lex didn't seem to be able to do anything to resist—he would have had more luck trying to fly than trying to pull his arm away from Clark's grasp.

"What—what are you—"

Clark shoved him off the side of the staircase—it wasn't a long fall, but the landing wouldn't be fun—and then Clark disappeared in a blur. The next thing Lex knew, he was on his back in Clark's arms, staring up at his face.

Clark stood him up straight. "Believe me now?"

Lex nodded and broke out in a sweat as realization swept over him. He should have known Clark was telling the truth—Clark was a terrible liar.

With his speed and strength . . . Clark could kill him. He wouldn't even have to try. He could snap Lex's windpipe like a toothpick, or crush his face with a single punch, or drop him off a building and fail to catch him.

And Clark could protect him from anything, too, save his life and then speed away before Lex even knew it was happening. That's what Clark had been doing all this time—that was how Lex had survived so many of his near-death experiences. It took him no effort at all; he couldn't feel it any more than Lex could when he wrote a five-figure check.

Lex had dared to cross this being, dared to deceive him and lie to him and go behind his back. Of course, Clark's lies made sense now, but how could Lex have known?

He didn't know how to respond. He wanted to fall at Clark's feet and beg for mercy; he wanted to ask a million more questions; he wanted to run for his life; he wanted to dance for joy that he wasn't crazy. But he couldn't even bring himself to speak in the presence of the teenaged god he had angered.

A teenaged god. His best friend.

Lex lifted his eyes to meet his best friend's. They were wide with fear. Lex couldn't imagine what _Clark_ had to be afraid of.

Clark lowered his head a little. "You're not upset?"

" _Upset?_ " Lex shook his head. Of everything he was feeling, anger was the last thing on his mind.

"When I told Pete, he was mad that I'd been lying to him."

Lex felt a momentary sting of jealousy that Pete had known for longer than he had, before he remembered that Pete and Clark had been friends since childhood. Then he was merely astonished that Pete had been angry. Did the kid have no perspective? "Y-you're off the hook for the lies, Clark."

"And you don't . . . see me differently?"

Lex paused to consider. He'd been afraid, but he realized he didn't need to be. If Clark had wanted to hurt him, he could have done it at any time. He was still Clark. Still the same farm boy he'd met and befriended three years ago.

Lex had always known there was something unusual about Clark, and he'd considered him his best friend regardless. Knowing the truth didn't change anything.

"Should I?" Lex asked.

Clark's eyes closed, and Lex could see the tension drain from his shoulders.

"So . . ." Lex was hesitant to ask more questions, but he figured the worst Clark would do now was to refuse to answer. "How much of the stuff in this room has to do with you?"

"Most of it." He took a deep breath. "The octagonal key works in the cave walls, too. When I put it in the wall, it taught me how to read the cave symbols."

Lex prepared for another wave of shock, but he didn't feel it this time. Apparently he'd lost the ability to be surprised by anything Clark said. He smiled instead. "The caves are about you, too?"

"The Kawache people used the caves to prophesy about an alien hero called Naman. They think I'm him."

Lex shook his head. "Of course you are."

Clark raised his eyebrows. "Do you believe me?"

"Every word."

Clark shifted his weight, grimacing.

"You okay, Clark?"

"There's a prophecy on the cave wall. Naman is supposed to have a friend who becomes an enemy. Sageeth. And all the evidence I have says that . . . it's you."

"So, what? We're destined to become enemies?" He'd known he was involved in all of this somehow, and he'd desperately hoped it wouldn't be something like this.

"I don't want to believe it."

Neither did Lex. And he couldn't, not quite. For all the darkness he hid within him, he couldn't imagine ever betraying Clark, not after having heard the truth. "Well . . . you've got a lot of power, Clark. Strength, speed, invulnerability—"

"Heat vision, x-ray vision, super hearing."

Once again, Lex found himself immune to the surprise. He supposed he'd never be surprised again in his life. "Like I said, lots of powers. Any of them have to do with changing destiny?"

Lex had been half kidding, but Clark's eyes widened.

"What?"

"I've changed destiny before. A couple of times, I've changed someone's future and prevented something that was supposed to happen."

Lex nodded slowly. "Well, if we were supposed to become enemies, maybe you've changed that destiny today."

"What do you mean?"

Lex paced among the evidence again. "Deception is a powerful thing. It can tear apart friendships and relationships, start fights and wars." He turned to face Clark. "But you were honest with me today. Maybe we were supposed to fight over this, over your secrets. Maybe that's how our friendship was supposed to end, but you told me the truth instead."

Clark squirmed. "My parents don't like for me to tell people about my powers. They say someone will try to take advantage of me, take me to a lab and experiment on me."

Lex frowned. "Well, if there's anything you _want_ to know about yourself, my labs are always open to you. But you're under my protection, Clark. I'll never let anyone hurt you."

"I don't know if you understand, Lex. Knowing my secret is really dangerous."

Lex looked Clark right in the eyes. "I don't know if you understand _me_ , Clark. When I tell you you're under my protection, I don't take that lightly. I won't let anything happen to you." _Even if it costs me my life._

Clark nodded, but he still looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

" . . . You're sure you don't see me any differently now?"

"I'm sure." Lex half-laughed. "Well, maybe a little different. I mean, I'm best friends with an alien. That's the most amazing thing I can imagine."

Without warning, Clark stepped forward and wrapped both arms around Lex.

Lex tensed with surprised at first, but then he relaxed in his younger friend's arms. The embrace was tight, but Lex realized that Clark was holding back significantly—his full strength would have killed Lex. For some reason, thinking about that made his eyes mist. "Thanks for telling me, Clark."

Clark let go and clapped Lex on the shoulder. "You were going to find out sooner or later. I'd rather it come from me."

"I appreciate that. But you know, I'd have protected you either way."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're like a brother to me."

Clark smiled. "Same to you."

Apparently Lex still did have the ability to be surprised. Lex had said that type of thing to Clark often, but Clark had never returned the sentiment. Lex couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so happy.

Clark's smile faded. "Lex, my parents know about all of this, and so does Pete, but none of my other friends do. Like I said, my parents don't want anyone to know, and they're already going to freak out when they find out I told you. Maybe I'll tell Lana and Chloe someday, but—"

"But you're dealing with unresolved sexual tension with both of them, and you're not sure how it's going to end, and you're afraid if you end up making one of them hate you, she'll announce your secrets to the world?"

His brow furrowed. "I was just going to ask you not to mention any of this to them."

Lex's cheeks felt warm. "Got it."

"Thanks."

Lex winced. "If you're still going to keep this a secret from most people, maybe we can work on your cover stories. They're really awful."

"You'd help me?"

Lex grinned. "What are Luthors for?"

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Always enjoy hearing your thoughts if you have them.
> 
> Also, I had been considering continuing this concept—having Lex know Clark's secrets so the two can work together—but I wanted to start earlier in the series. So instead, I started one where Lex finds out in the pilot. It's called "If He Knew," and it's a long-term project. If you want to read more with this premise, you might want to check that one out :)


End file.
